Power play still a mystery for Jets

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 1/12/2013 (1103 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — The new wrinkle might be an old wrinkle as Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel opened the door to playing anybody and everybody on his team’s sputtering power play.

The coach used defenceman Dustin Byfuglien in front of the Philadelphia net in a couple of late-game advantage situations on Friday.

TREVOR HAGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Jets tried Dustin Byfuglien at forward on the power play against the Flyers.

Today at the team’s workout at the New York Rangers’ suburban practice ice, Byfuglien was back to his regular spot at the point but all Jets forwards took turns working the power play, including fourth-liners James Wright, Eric Tangradi and Anthony Peluso.

It would seem that a squad that was last overall in power play last season and one which resides in the NHL’s bottom three this season (at 11.5 per cent) can’t afford to be stubborn.

"We’re trying to find personnel more than anything," Noel said. "We’ve got our 23 players but I don’t think there’s a lock on who can be on the power play. Whether you’ve got one unit or a second unit, third unit, fourth unit. We need execution, puck recovery, winning battles, we need production and we’re not getting it.

"So there could be all kinds of personnel, kind of like an audition. Who wants things thing? I’ll just judge by who’s playing well in the game. If guys are going good in the game, maybe they go. That’s why we did it with different personnel, did it with all breakouts with everybody. You’ve got to be ready to go."

Winnipeg, 12-12-4, has no advantage goals on this road trip so far, but has won two out of three as it approaches Monday night’s contest against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Jets winger Evander Kane, who left Friday's game with a lower-body injury, didn't practise again today and remains questionable for Monday's game.

In light of that, the Jets recalled forward John Albert from their AHL affiliate, the St. John's Icecaps, later in the day.

Albert, 24, is a free-agent signing by the organization, though he was drafted in 2007 in the sixth round by Atlanta. He has three goals and eight points in the AHL season so far, his third with St. John's.

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Updated on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 3:08 PM CST: Update to add call up from St. John's

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